SYTYCD 5/27: The One Where Mary Gets Her Fancy Tickled

Hello dear readers! Tis I, iguanachocolate, here to bring you the latest happenings on So You Think You Can Dance. After viewing last week’s episode, I’m wishing some of those contestants thought they couldn’t dance and then didn’t audition. But, alas, they did. And we watched it. Well, at least I did. If you didn’t, you can read all about it here. Before I start this weeks recappin’, I just wanted to give you a little advice – from me to you – free of charge: Beware the dancers who tell you they are going to dance in their own styles. It never ends well. Just a hint that a dancer will be dancing their own styles should put fear in your heart.

Tony Riendeau is one such dancer. He informs us he will be dancing ‘Tony’ style and whenever he dances he is the star of the show. After watching an exhibition of ‘Tony’ style, let’s just say it’s no Macarena. As guest judge Tyce Diorio says it’s ‘flush ya like a public toilet bad’. It was that bad, but to be honest, Tyce really should not be going on about how bad something is until he gets rid of that extended the sideburns down around his chin thing he’s got going on. Now that is also needs to get flushed down a public toilet. Anyway, Mary thinks he could be a goofy dancer guy in the background of a movie and Nigel claims he would have put him through to choreography after Tyce and Mary said no. Yeah, sure you would, Nigel. After claiming in his pre-audition interview he could dance for 6 or 7 hours and not have a problem, tony does seem to be having a problem after the audition out in the hall. Never fear, after a looksie by the medic, a banana and a few more precious moments of air time, Tony is just fine.

Janette Manrara and Romulo Villaverde auditioned last year but only Janette made it through to Vegas and she was cut in the last round. They have come back with a vengeance and a boatload of new moves, including a back flip leg extension that if you missed it in the show – find it on you tube, because it is awesome. Nigel was thrilled to finally get some spice in the show and was really impressed with split lift. Mary gives them the first scream of the night and then threatens Nigel with a strangling if he doesn’t send them straight to Vegas. He does. Romulo does a celebratory breakdance in the hallway that ranks right up there with ‘Tony’ style. Thank goodness he’s a Latin dancer.

Jennifer and Jessica Guadix claim to be identical twins, but I have my doubts. Jessica likes lyrical dance and Jennifer likes everything. But hey, I’m sure they will be great, because they’ve taught themselves ballet through books! What, they didn’t have a vcr to at least rent some tapes from the library? Needless to say, there is tremendous suckage happening on stage during their performance. Nigel says it’s the first time there’s been synchronized dancing on the show and Mary and I say simultaneously, “And there still hasn’t been!” Nigel says they’re not right for this competition and I say hallelujah.

We’re treated to a montage of Tyce going off on dancers. Stupid. What the hell does a ‘milkshake full of Tylenol” even mean?

Joseph Smith presents himself as a potential nutcase, but turns out he really can dance. I found my self laughing at his hip-hop routine. Nigel is looking forward to the big Shawam (Joseph’s ‘wow’ saying). Mary likes it, but Tyce wasn’t all that impressed. But he is going through to choreography.

And at the end of the first day, Joseph and 31 others join Lauren (Season 3) for choreography, and Joseph Shawam’s himself all the way to Vegas.

On the second day in Miami, it’s another stop in Crazyville as Wislande Litang does a really bad imitation of a Pussycat Doll in high school for her audition. Craptastic! Mary isn’t sure what she was doing, but she knows it wasn’t for her or Tyce so she makes Nigel take all the heat. He says she didn’t really show anything and Wislande says she can learn a routine, and Nigel says she needs to show it. Tyce says she is worlds beyond her abilities. After she is sent packing, Wislande tells us she’s going to focus on school instead. Cool. Make sure to dress for it.

Another montage of really bad auditions. And there were sequins. ‘Nuff said on that.

Erik ‘Silky’ Moore says he’s been tapping since he was ten and he also does hip-hop. He wants to bring tap back to dance shows and I am all for that. I love me some good tappin’. And Silky doesn’t disappoint. He does a fantastic routine that is tap with a whole lot of Michael Jackson attitude and some of the Gloved one’s moonwalking. Nigel thought it was really good once he got into it and Mary didn’t want to stop watching. He’s straight through to Vegas.

Paris Torres is an ex-pageant winner, so I am thinking a whole lot of teeth will be showing. She’s a decent contemporary dancer with a tutu. It was good. Nigel loved her technique, Mary loves her lines and Tyce nit picks and says he thought she was focusing too much on her legs and feet and leaving a bit of the performance behind. Tyce wants to see her do choreography, but Mary and Nigel outvote him and she is straight to Vegas.

And another montage of dancers – good ones this time who are all going straight to Vegas. This includes Megan Kinney and we’ll meet her sister later on in Memphis.

Geo Smith bounds onto the stage in a feathered mask and does an African dance that is really cool. The best bit is when he leaps off the stage and scares Mary half out of her scream. Nigel says Mary thought Geo was ‘going to tickle her fancy’. Hee! He is sent to choreography.

Sob back story alert! Talia Richards has not auditioned in two years. Married young, her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident just four years into their marriage. Talia says this audition move her towards finding her joy again. She dances well, but constantly scrunches up her face and Nigel warns her about that. Mary thinks she has a lot of potential, but didn’t have a lot of substance. Tyce says her energy was too much for her dancing, and he is not sure if she should go through to choreography. Nigel and Mary overrule him again and she goes on to choreography.

Geo, Talia and 19 other dancers go through the choreography, and both of them go through to Vegas along with nameless others who go as well but don’t warrant a back story of any kind.

And through the magic of television, we are magically transported to Memphis. Ain’t technology grand? We lost Tyce, but gained a Lil C – cool!

Marico Flake is hometown hero in the form of a cop. He does Memphis jookin’, which is an actual dance style, unlike the ‘Tony’. It based on a rhythmic bounce – Elvis had a bit of it says Marico. I have never seen it before, but I am willing to believe Marico is an expert jooker. He is all that with a whole lot of charisma thrown in. Nigel really enjoyed it and says that he heard that it has been around for 20 years but has been underground for fear of someone stealing it. Lil C has used elements of jookin’ in some of his routines and Mary loves his personality. But is it good enough to go on to choreography? All three judges say no, because he is going straight to Vegas!

Dustin Dorough, on the other hand, is not going to Vegas. I knew that as soon as he mentioned that he was second cousin to a Backstreet boy. I also think his head is too large for his body. Nigel thinks the hip hop community might be insulted and Dustin says he’s been sick… yeah, in the head. Have I mentioned he’s a second cousin to a Backstreet Boy? He’s kindly sent off on his merry way by the judges.

The dreaded one, Chris Carrozza, says his style is his own (Ding Ding Ding – warning!) and he calls it electric. I call it stupid. Personally, I think he was there on a dare and had to carry the charade out in order to claim his free Happy Meal from whatever radio station put him up to it. The judges, sensing he may be a simpleton, are kind to him, but he takes offence and flounces off. Good riddance. Now at least I can stop seeing him on all the endless promotional clips…

Cute bit by Cat giving us the “Guide to a Good Audition”. Basically it’s yet another montage of bad dancers. But since it was the lovely Cat Deeley narrating it, I listened to it twice. Ok, thrice.

Caitlin Kinney is hoping to follow her sister Megan Kinney to Vegas. She’s every bit as good as her sister, as far as I can tell. She’s also a contemporary dancer and definitely has some gymnastics background which she cops to when Nigel asks her. We also find out she has only been dancing for five years. I am stunned at that, as she looks like someone who has many many more years of training. Nigel loves her and Mary asks her about the hip reconstruction surgery she has had – and she can still dance like that. Mary says dancing must be her destiny. Lil C says she was captivating. She’s joining her sister in Vegas.

The choreography session is short and sweet and I am happy to report that at least one person in this season can spell Vegas correctly. Have you mastered that yet, Jessica?

Anna Dunn lost her dad last year to suicide and says that dance is an outlet she can use to express her feelings about that as it is really hard for her to talk about it. I think she dances beautifully, but I am confused by the odd movements her head keeps making (I loved her music, anyone know what it is and can tell me? It needs to go on my iPod). Nigel is also confused by the head movements and says she was over choreographed, but loves her. Lil C mentions the loss of her father and shares that he also lost his father to suicide. He tells her she needs to connect with the pain of the loss to fill the void. Awww, I heart Lil C. She is sent on to choreography.

Travis Prokop is a dancer with a high school football coach for a father – and before you think you know where this is going, his father supports him in everything he does and it was heart wrenching to hear him speak of his sadness for his son’s pain because he wanted to do something different than the other males in his high school. Travis has some good moments, but something is off. The judges seem to think that he needs to be stronger because of his great height. Lil C says he is like a hamster in a giraffe’s body. He’s goes on to choreography.

Ryan and Evan Kasprzak are brothers - Evan made it to the last week of Vegas last year and is back again with another routine his brother has choreographed for him. It’s a wonderful Gene Kelley-esque routine and is absolutely wonderful. Nigel says his routine was perfectly constructed with a beginning, a middle and an end and that is why he got the most applause of the day. Lil C wants to know if he can be comfortable with styles outside of his comfort zone. He’s already proven he can do choreography, so he is through to Vegas.

More twins. I am scared. Lauren and Lydia Guerra do seem to be identical, at least. And unlike the others, they can actually finish each others sentences apparently without coaching from the producers. Oh, and they can dance. Not spectacularly, but pretty darn good. Nigel says that Lydia danced to the extreme whilst Lauren was more of a performer. The twins say that they get told that a lot. Mary liked them but Lil C did not see too many similarities between the twins. They’re sent on to choreography.

And finally, we are back to the remaining brother Kasprzak, Ryan. He elects to do tap dancing with whoopee cushion. At first I am afraid, but as it turns out, they make a pretty good pairing. He is a very talented performer. And the whoopee cushion played its part well. Mary loved the cleverness of his routine and Lil C loved his use of the prop. Nigel wants to send him to choreography, but this time Mary and Lil C overrule him and it is off to Vegas for Ryan. No word on whether or not the whoopee cushion made it through choreography, though.
And here we are, the final choreography session. You know the drill, they are put through the motions by Lauren and then have to face the judges. Lauren, Anna, Travis and Lydia are all going through to Vegas.

And that’s it! Meet back here on Thursday when everyone troupes off to Seattle and Hollywood. I’m evil, so I am glad that the lovely Waywyrd will get the joy of recapping the return of Sex night.